CLAYHIDON man Gareth Weekes has drowned while holidaying in the Caribbean.

Gareth, 77, died while snorkelling off a small island in St Vincent and the Grenadines while on a sailing holiday aboard a luxury yacht with his wife Alison.

Gareth, former editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo, moved to the Blackdowns 17 years ago and was well-known and much-respected in the village.

His contributions included chairing the village hall committee and starting a village news website. Gareth was a member of the Clayhidon Whisky Appreciation Society.

“He will be a huge loss to our community,” said farmer Phil Blackmore.

Former neighbour Sir Nigel Essenhigh, at one-time head of the Royal Navy, said: “Gareth was stimulating company and modest about the many achievements in his busy life.”

As well as the Echo, Gareth previously edited the Tavistock Times and Salisbury Journal.

He met Alison, former Somerset County Gazette news editor, through shared careers in journalism.

They met training as reporters on the Hendon and Finchley Times and remained friends while Gareth married Diane Rattray, Alison’s old schoolfriend, and Alison married Brian Hulls, a BBC war cameraman who died in 1996. Diane died in 2004.

Gareth’s eldest daughter Veryan said: "Dad died as he lived - taking risks, having adventures, exploring the world and approaching life with boundless enthusiasm and a gung ho zest for new experiences. We are glad he was having those adventures right up till the end.”

Born in Cardiff, Gareth was the son of engineer Philip Weekes, a National Coal Board area director, and grew up in South Wales, working for a firm of solicitors before building a career in journalism.

He had three daughters, Veryan, Bronwen and Jenna, two stepdaughters Poz and Maddie and 11 grandchildren.

He is survived by sisters Carolyn Arthurs and Jane Revill. His brother, Huw Weekes, a journalist and newsreader for HTV Wales, died in 2001.

Gareth set up PR consultancy Deep South Media, now run by his friend and former colleague Ron Wain.

Gareth and Alison loved the community of Clayhidon and were busy transforming part of their garden into a wetland and had planted hundreds of trees to encourage wildlife and help stem flooding on the River Culm.

Alison, who was also district editor of the Chard and Ilminster News and launch editor of the magazine Limited Edition, said: "We were proud of our work as young reporters supporting those without a voice, exposing fraud and corruption and responsibly recording life as it happened. Sadly, local journalism is no longer quite the same.

“Absolutely everyone described Gareth as a lovely man. He had enormous integrity and empathy with each person he met and this is reflected in the overwhelming reaction to his tragic and sudden death.”